Local Marketing 101
Local Marketing is all about targeting and reaching the region and community that’s around a specific business with a physical store or office. Many also refer to it as Local Store Marketing or Neighborhood Marketing. This definitely a form of niche marketing that decides to focus on a smaller group of audience rather than appealing to the general public in the whole country or even internationally. While local marketing is easy to understand, there are a few things you need to remember if you want to get a good grasp of this unique strategy.
Your Reputation is Key in Local Marketing
This is a logical approach to the local marketing strategy. If you want to target a specific area of community, you need to start building your name. This is achieved by attracting clients and providing them with the best possible product or service. If they are happy, they’ll recommend you to their friends and even write up a positive review for you. This builds on your reputation and attracts new possible customers. With a good and strong reputation, you’ll be able to dominate your local audience and even start attracting other people from different areas.
Join or create different events and mingle with locals
One of the best ways to touch base with your local market is to be part of local events or even create an event that will help you meet influential people in the area. Events help you create a lasting impression and serve as good PR activities especially if the local media is involved. Another good tip is to get in touch with other local businesses that can serve as your partners – this further builds upon your reputation and trust among your audiences.
Local Marketing involves social media, mobile and SEO
A good deal of local marketing feature traditional or offline approaches and strategies, however, an online approach is just as important. Your social media presence in Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ Local ensures that you are found in these websites where your market is most likely to be a part of. You can input your business name, description and contact details into your social media accounts to provide your customers with all the information they need. A mobile website also allows you to reach customers who use smart phones or tablets daily to browse the web. SEO or Search Engine Optimization helps your website appear in local search results.
Every business looking into tapping local marketing must have a Google+ Local listing above any other social media. When using Google’s search engine, you’ll commonly see Google+ Local listings among the top results which is why having up to date and accurate contact information in Google+ Local must be a priority. We’ll dedicate a separate article for an in-depth look at how you can optimize your Google+ Local account.
In general, Local Marketing is all about making your business known both online and offline to the immediate area and community near you. It’s all about making sure people know who your business is and what you can do using online and offline channels. If you think local marketing is for you, try to remember these tips to make the most out of your marketing strategy.
